Category Archives: DIY

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A Green-ish Thumb

. DIY, Thrifty Tips . , ,

DIY CraftsI have an obsessive love of vintage pyrex. The beautiful designs and bright colors bring out hoarding tendencies within me that I’m not proud of. For these reasons, I do anything I can to make vintage pyrex useful within my home. If it’s useful then it’s not hoarding…right?

After I saw this beauty at my local arc ($3.99!), I knew I wanted to do something “useful” with it. This is my favorite pyrex pattern—the friendship pattern—in a small, casserole dish. I decided that beyond the normal cooking and serving uses it would be great to see if I could use it as a planter. I’ve seen some gorgeous succulent plants lately and wanted to try my hand.

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With the fabulous “planter” already picked out, I then hunted for some rocks or decorative stones that I could use underneath the plants in order to let them drain. ARC did not disappoint: a bag of rocks for 69 cents. I headed to my local garden store to find some succulents and was able to select a whole variety of small plants to group together and fill the dish.

Untitled4 I filled my pyrex with a couple inches of rocks and then took my time and arranged the plants throughout. I put the biggest plant in first and then slowly filled in the gaps.

After I had arranged all the different varieties of plants in the manner that I wanted, I went back through and placed some rocks around the plants just to make it look nice and neat. I LOVE how it turned out, and now I have one more piece of vintage pyrex on display!

– Julie W.

 

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Vintage Dictionary Art

. DIY . , , ,

arts and crafts

Vintage dictionary art is all over the place lately. There are countless examples online at sites like Pinterest and Etsy, but it’s always seemed like something that would be simple to make versus having to buy. I’ve wanted to try my hand at it for a while now but I had to find the perfect vintage dictionary.  That’s where arc comes in; I found a beautifully aged, large dictionary from 1936 that was under $5!  It has great pictures and wonderful sepia-toned edges.  Other books I’ll keep an eye out for are old encyclopedias or vintage children’s books with great illustrations—I think both of these would also make great art work.

The first step, which felt almost sacrilegious for a book lover like me, was to cut out the pages as neatly as I could.  I wanted to cut very close to the book’s spine so that the borders on each side of the page were even.  Also, the neater I cut it at first, the less trimming and fixing I had to do later. Image 3Image 1

After I had my pages cut I did some research to find a quote.  I wanted it to be a quote about books or reading, and something that I wouldn’t mind looking at on my wall for a long time to come.  I found a great one from writer, Lisa Kleypas.  After experimenting with how to best print on the delicate vintage pages, I finally developed a good system of just barely taping a page onto a regular sheet of printer paper.vintage

After a few mishaps and many rough drafts (see picture above where I tried to print over a dark picture…) I ended up with an awesome piece of art!  I found a very simple black frame at arc (where else?!) and LOVE how it turned out.  Already thinking about the next one I want to make; maybe, “The only thing I like better than reading is thrifting” or “I ♥ vintage.” Until next time, happy crafting and thrifting at arc! -Julie

old books

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Make Your Own Mug

. DIY, Thrifty Tips . , , ,

So the other day I went by arc Thrift and I bought a white mug for my latest (affordable) craft project!  I wanted to make my own custom designed mug.  These are great for gifts, special occasions or just for plain fun.  Next, I hand drew on the white mug with a sharpie (preferably a sharpie paint marker), you can find these for cheap at any arts and crafts store. You can use all kinds of colors and designs on your mug, get creative and crafty Colorado! Be sure to wipe the mug off with a damp cloth and dry it before you start drawing.  Once you have completed your artwork its ready to be baked.  Heat the oven to 365 degrees and put the mug in there while the oven is heating up, this will prevent it from cracking.  Now once the oven heats up you will want to bake to start a timer and bake it for 30 minutes. Afterwards let it sit in there while the oven cools.  Take it out. Wash it. Enjoy it! Image

 

– Lian, arc Thrift’s college blogger

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D.I…Why?

. DIY . , , ,

DIY Crafts

Sometimes in the world of crafting, I bite off more than I can chew. This is a pattern even from when I was a kid.  I’d start projects and then leave them lying around after being distracted by something else…as my parents like to remind me.  But no more! After seeing this amazing vintage lamp at a nearby arc thrift store (for only $6.99!!!) I knew I wanted to rewire it and had to see it through.  There were several vintage lamps that caught my eye but this one won my heart :). Untitled1

The lamp has such beautiful shades of blue and green and I LOVE the 1970s drip glaze.  The only problem was that the plug was bent and the wiring looked rough.  Usually I’d let a little thing like fear of a painful shock turn me away from such a beautiful lamp-but not today! I figured rewiring a lamp couldn’t be that hard, could it?  Could it?!  I’ve seen so many amazing vintage lamps at arc, but I’ve never known how to rewire them-now I will!

The first step was buying a lamp kit from a local hardware store (around $10) so that I could figure out what all of this entailed.  Then when I couldn’t read the miniscule print on the back of the package I resorted to the internet.  Here’s what I had to do (the abbreviated version):

I unscrewed the ornament at the top of the lamp and then popped the oval harp off. Untitled3

After that I flipped the lamp over, pulled off the cardboard bottom and unscrewed the nut on the underside of the base that holds it all together.  With that undone I slowly took the whole thing apart and then threaded the new cord all the way back through the base up to the socket.  So far so good!

Things got a little trickier once I had to strip a bit of the wire at the top in order to actually rewire the socket.  I’d like to tell you that I did this no problem and then easily wired each side of the wire to the correct screw.  But that would be a lie.  I needed help! Untitled5

I was so worried that I wouldn’t do it correctly and would somehow make something explode that I wimped out.  I don’t even have a picture for you of me completing the job with help.  I should be ashamed…but I’m not.  Because as soon as I plugged this puppy in it lit up beautifully!  (Sorry for the lousy picture, though.)  Another arc treasure to satisfy my love for vintage, and for such an amazing price; I’ve seen drip glaze lamps like this being sold for tons in antique stores.  Arc always hooks me up with fabulous vintage wares for super low prices.  Plus I never feel guilty shopping because it goes to such a great cause.  Now all it needs is a lamp shade.  Wonder where I might find one…

Julie W.

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arcs and Crafts

. DIY . , ,

I really like to shop.  I especially like to shop for vintage items.  I get more excited over vintage pyrex than most people do on their birthdays.  I also enjoy crafting and bringing creativity into my life in any way that I can.  Combining these interests means that by default, I LOVE ARC THRIFT STORES!  They’re pretty much my favorite places on earth.  If I’m not at home or at work, there’s a good chance that I’m at an ARC.  Not only do they provide my vintage shopping fix, but they also do wonderful work in the community for individuals with developmental disabilities.  ARC provides advocacy on behalf of these individuals at the local level, as well as in state public policy.  They also provide family support, employment opportunities and a host of other services for people with developmental disabilities.  This is a population that I love and it makes me want to support all that ARC does.

Being creative can look a lot of different ways for me: sewing, writing, knitting, really anything crafty that shuts my brain off and allows me to create.  I don’t have a creative job so I have to fill that creative hole in my free time.  Lately, I’ve been finding ways to be creative and to hit ARC for some vintage wares, which also means that I can be crafty on a tight budget.  These are exciting times for me, people!

The other day at one of my favorite ARCs, I came across this beauty:

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A vintage crewel embroidery kit for $1.99!!! Can you feel my excitement?!  I snatched it off of the shelf before anyone else spotted my good fortune…though no one was nearby at the time.  I get a little bit too excited about a great vintage find.  Or so I’ve been told J  One of the main tips I give to people that initially get hooked on thrifting is to dig deep.  Sometimes the truly great treasures are hidden in the bottom of the pile or on the back of the shelf.  But these treasures are absolutely worth the effort.

With this crewel kit, I quickly set to work figuring out the different crewel stitches.  I love to cross stitch but I’ve never learned any other “real” stitches.  I typically make up my own.  But not this time!  This time Jiffy Stitchery was going to instruct me properly.  The kit had great instructions and all of the yarn and cloth I would need, as well as an embroidery needle.

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This was the perfect craft for me because it was relatively quick, and had such a great vintage retro feel to it.  ARC came through for me again, big time.  After just a few hours, spread over the course of a couple days, I completed my first vintage crewel craft.  Drum roll please…….

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TAA-DAA!!!  I love it! I was going to frame it but I think I’ll just trim it and hang it up still in the embroidery hoop.  It’s so kitschy and retro; the bumble-bee is my favorite part.

You’d think now that I’d gotten this out of my system I’d be on to a new creative endeavor, but I’m afraid all it’s done is fueled a fire.  I am on the hunt for more of these fabulous vintage crewel kits!  And there’s nowhere else you’d find me out hunting than at ARC.

– J

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Thrifty Thanksgiving Table Decor

. DIY, Thrifty Tips

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By Stephanie May of MayDae.com

I’m so excited to be a guest blogger for the ARC this week!  I absolutely love thrifting, and on most weekends, you can find me at the ARC with a coffee in hand, grabbing treasures as fast as I can. With Thanksgiving coming up, I’m thinking about Thanksgiving decorations just as much as I’m thinking about the food.  A beautiful table makes any party or event feel fancy and special, and it doesn’t take a lot to achieve it. 

Before I went to the thrift store to pick out my supplies, I first came up with my color palette.  I chose black, white, brown, and metallic for my theme and set off looking through the store.I started thinking about a tablecloth, and I knew I wanted to do something non-traditional.  I headed over to the stationary and office supply aisle (one of my favorite sections of the store) and found black paper, brown mailing paper, a roll of wallpaper, and a really cool black and white calligraphy practice pad.

To make the table cloth, I used the back of the wallpaper as a base on the table, and then taped it on the bottom where the seam is.  I cut up the paper into squares and triangles (small, medium, and large pieces) and used plain glue to adhere them to the wallpaper.  I did some of the pieces side by side, and some of them overlapping.  This takes a little while to glue them all down, but if you have a helper or two (this is a great project for kids!) it will go very fast.  I wanted the pattern of the table to be unique and different from something that you could just buy at the store and I really like how it turned out!

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For the rest of the table, I was also able to thrift some black ribbon, white candle holders, dried white flowers, a black vase, beads and gold jewelry, black and white fabric to make napkins, and a metallic fluted pan.  I used the ribbon around the base of my wood crate, and for napkin rings.  The gold jewelry and beads were also used on the napkin rings, and I used the fluted pan and black vase to create height in the center for the dried flowers.

I hope that my table has given you some inspiration of how to use thrift store finds to decorate for the holidays!  I love that you can easily choose different colors and textures, and get a totally different feel and look.  I really enjoyed putting this together – thanks so much to the ARC for having me as a guest blogger! 🙂

www.maydae.com

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Denver Craft Ninjas: Halloween Headbands

. DIY, Halloween . , , ,

Welcome Becky from the Denver Craft Ninjas as our first Guest Blogger!  If you don’t know about the Denver Craft Ninjas, then you should!  Read on to see how you can make super cool DIY Halloween Headbands from our local craft guru……..

Don’t have time for a complete costume this year? Or can’t figure out what will pull together your delightfully frightening costume ideas?

Get together with your friends, like I did, and DIY the cutest little Halloween headbands!

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Amber and Becky (Denver Craft Ninjas) model their spooky headband creations!

Headbands are the perfect blank canvas for your costume idea. Add some plastic bones and roses, a little greenery and a red eyed raven, or tulle and spiders to create spirited accents that work perfectly on their own or as an addition to a complete costume.

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She’s Crafty! Awesome Denver Craft Ninjas Halloween craft studio.

My lovely assistant Amber and I played with a variety of materials to create three great headbands that will work for any age.

And really the materials are the best part, right?

We gathered fabric flowers, scrap fabric, and a few cheap Halloween necessities and set to work. Many of these items can be found at arc Thrift Stores!

First, is our adorable Mummy Eyes headband!

Amber whipped this super cute, asymmetrical eyed accessory up in no time.

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To start, grab a fairly wide headband and wrap with a gauzy fabric or ribbon and secure with a glue gun. Then grab some creepy, bloodshot eyeballs (we used a pre-painted foam eyeball) and glue them wherever you want on the headband. Amber decided on a crooked placement for the eyes and it minimized the ghoulish and made it a little silly. And last, Amber wrapped a little ribbon around the eyeballs.

A totally cute addition to a mummy costume or just something fun to wear all by itself!

Second, is our simple spider headband!

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With this project, we used some lavender tulle and wrapped it tightly around a thin metal headband securing it with a glue gun. We made charming tulle rosettes by gathering small pieces of tulle and then placing a dot of hot glue in the center to hold the rosette together. Be careful! The hot glue will seep through the tulle and can burn your fingers.

The tulle will naturally fan out and make whispy bases for sinister, sparkly spiders to sit on. Another small dot of glue in the center of the rosette will secure your spider to the rosette. Then decide on placement for your spider! We placed two spiders right next to each other for extra creep factor!

This is a great project to experiment with! The tulle is so fun to play with and it’s fairly easy to create a haunting veil that hangs over your face.

Our last headband turned out to be our favorite!

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Inspired by Dia de los Muertos, we created a spooky statement piece that can be worn with a whole costume or on it’s own with some really gorgeous face paint!

Using a wide, black fabric headband, we started by gluing some gold and black stretch lace to the headband to add some

In our hunt for pieces to use for these headbands, we were drawn to these lovely black leaves with purple glitter on them. PURPLE GLITTER! We took apart the leaves and placed 6 leaves, 2 at a time, in the middle and on the sides of the headband with hot glue. Then between the leaves we placed fun mini skulls which created a kind of crown. Finally, between skull and leaf we tucked little trios of mini fabric red roses. After letting the glue set on all the pieces, it’s a good idea to adjust the leaves to be sure they don’t obscure any of the other elements of the headband.

Voila! You have three great looks to jump start your costume plans!

Halloween is a great time to get your glue gun fired up and create something handmade that is as individual as you are!

Visit the Denver Craft Ninjas new craft space called Share.Denver located at 28th and Fairfax in Park Hill.

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Denver Zombie Crawl

. DIY

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Zombie lovers unite this weekend at the 8th Annual Denver Zombie Crawl!  It’s the largest zombie crawl in the world, right here in Denver, and we can’t wait to be a part of the walking dead that will take over the 16th Street Mall beginning at 2:00 PM this Saturday, October 19th.

Create a killer Zombie Costume in just a few easy steps:

1. Choose your Zombie Type:  Zombie Soccer Mom, princess, business man, ballerina, football player etc. are easy starter ideas.

2. Select your costume base: Tutus, prom dresses, business suits and athletic gear are good clothing choices but make it CHEAP because you are going to destroy the garments.

3. Zombify your costume: Grab a pair of scissors, razor blade or box cutter and get to work ripping and shredding!  Then add some fake blood (You can buy it or experiment with making your own with some corn syrup and food coloring), and rub in some dirt for a complete zombie ensemble.

4. Hair & Makeup: go simple with some Halloween grease paint makeup kits for a gory look then top it off with messy, dirty hair or an old wig that you don’t mind destroying.

Zombie Arcky with logo

Consider arc Thrift Stores your Zombie headquarters – we are here to help you Zombify!